Southampton Grand Cru

Brewed by Southampton Publick House
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Southampton, New York USA

Thanks to whomever brought this to DL Day! A true pleasure to have the opportunity to try this. Many thanks. Great notes of sour cherry, toffee, orange, and clove on the nose lead into a wonderful balance of the same flavors on the palate, as well as brown sugar and lots of honey. A sour lemon spice finish. Great stuff.

750ml bottle 2005 vintage via my Christmas In July Secret Santa. Found it in the back today and what a treat. Pours cloudy amber with a short white head that faded pretty quick and laced the sides of the tulip from there. Aromas of cjerries, caramel, spice, and a touch of oak. Flavor is very sour and funky at first with some definite cherries, oak, and an interesting spice. As you get deeper into the glass though the sourness seems to blend to a nice malty caramel flavor but the spice and some of the sourness remains. Interestingly complex as there is alot going on and it seems to change with each sip. Some orange there, maybe a hint of lemon, some pepper, corriander and some definite lambic qualities as well.. Quite an interesting brew. Medium body. Not much carbonation. Enjoyable!

Found this open on a table at three floyds at the dark lord release party. Thanks to whoever opened it! Funky sour cherries, caramel, and lots of wood, spice and a nice maltiness in the aroma. Super cloudy, amber-orange in color with a thin, white head. Sweet, fruity, sour cherry flavor with a strong caramel flavor and a tart, peppery finish. Really good. Medium-light in body with a crisp texture.

2005 bottle: Beer pours cloudy amberwith a too small egg white head that mostly dissipates. Aroma is an intriguing blend of orange oil, tons of spices and a sour lactic aroma and wood. Flavors include sweet fruit, alcohol, also lots of wood and some lemon. Palate seems s bit under-carbonated. This beer represents an interesting amalgomation of flavors; however the sum of the parts seems to suggest too many disparate parts to make a cohesive whole.

Cloudy orange/yellow with lots of head. Acidic aroma, with plenty of goats cheese (and goat too for that matter), and sour apple. Some sherbety spice (hey, I’d had a few when I wrote it), with a great depth of flavour. Be good to give this another run one day.

2005 Bottle, 750ml. Pours a bright, clear, dark copper color with a bit of heavy, ivory-colored lacing. Spicy aroma with a good deal of malt. Notes of orange, flowers and licorice. Sweet flavor with more flowers and oranges. Somewhat bitter finish. Alcohol warmth is quite noticeable.

A complex and intriguing Belgian strong. Conditions were far from ideal after a heavy night’s sampling, so this is definitely one to revisit with a fresh palate. Still, it was probably the best-looking beer of the night, a beautiful fiery orange with a splendid head that lasted all the way to the foot. Quite a mild aroma for the 9.5% abv, certainly too subtle for my beer-addled nose to pick out much more than sourish grape juice and some funky lambic blue cheese-type notes. Soft, filling mouthfeel with minimal carbonation. Sour lambic and ciderish flavours. Quite appley with some barnyard. Delicious! A very untypical US beer. (Bottle, RateBeer Sydney Xmas gathering 2005)

2005: Orange Coloring with Amber Tints and Good Sandy Head. Crisp Apple and Alcohol Aroma. Thick Mouthfeel..Dark Fruit, Heavy Malt Background, but More Sugary/Syrup in Texture. The Fruity and Light Spice Notes Go a Long Way Into Making This a Very Enjoyable Belgian Strong.